Wilful damage charge for teen

A man who offended while under a synthetic cannabis "drug-induced psychosis" allegedly attacked a police car outside Napier District Court just a week after being released from prison.

Richard Monty Poi, 17, who has been charged with two counts of wilful damage and one of disorderly behaviour, was handcuffed with a waist restraint when he appeared in the dock yesterday but has yet to enter a plea.

Wade Colville-Smith, the manager of a business near the courthouse, said he saw a man pacing outside the court about 11am on Monday morning.

"He had no shirt on and was talking to himself. Then he stopped outside the courthouse and started screaming and yelling," he said.

The man then apparently stopped in front of the police car before jumping on to the bonnet.

"He was jumping up and down on top of the bonnet and then he kicked the window in. He jumped from that car to the car next door and started jumping on that bonnet."

Mr Colville-Smith said the man walked down the road to where his own car was parked and got a jersey out of it.

"He climbed back out and then started swearing and yelling again and kicking his own car - kicked the petrol cap off it."

He said he was "ranting and raving" about wanting to "kill everyone" and giving the finger to cars driving by.

As soon as police arrived Mr Colville-Smith said the man turned around and put his hands behind his back.

The policeman who had parked the car outside court came outside to find his windscreen smashed and his bonnet caved in.

"I don't think anyone had actually informed him, he came out and saw it and was asking what had gone on."

Yesterday Poi was remanded in custody and will reappear in court today.

He was sentenced to three months imprisonment last Tuesday on other offences but having already served time in custody while waiting for the charges to be resolved he was released straight away.

The previous charges were from May of this year and included disorderly behaviour, wilful damage, theft and misuse of a credit card.

During sentencing his lawyer, Philip Ross, said he was likely suffering from the effects of "drug induced psychosis".

He said while he was not an expert he believed Poi's behaviour was the product of smoking synthetic cannabis like K2.

"This is starting to show up in some of my Family Court work as well.

"However, this is the most severe reaction I have seen to what they call synthetic cannabis."

Mr Ross said a former teacher of Poi's described him as a "friendly, cheeky young man" before he starting smoking K2.

He said Poi's mother agreed a change in his behaviour began to occur last November when he started smoking the drug.

Poi was not present in court last week as Corrections staff deemed his behaviour unacceptable for him to attend.